Mite Disaster!

[Zodiac]

About a week or so ago, I realized my juvenile emperor scorpion had mites.
I did an immediate clean up of the tank, soaked it in extremely hot water for about fifteen minutes (also did this with all the decorations), and put in new substrate.

When I looked at my scorpion I couldn't see a single mite. I looked closely, and probably had him under close examination for a good 20 minutes. I looked in the joints and everything, and what I thought was a mite I got rid of with a soft clean paintbrush.

Lately I've been seeing the odd mite here and there, and I've been removing them. But with every day I see even more. They are multiplying quicker than I can get rid of them.
I still haven't seen any on the scorpion, however.

I'm particularly worried because he is getting very big for his exoskeleton, and a lot of his white "flesh" is showing between his joints. He must be ready to moult.
I don't know if he's not because of the mites... and I'm also worried that the mites will cause a problem once he does moult.

I don't think I can have predatory mites shipped here, so unfortunately that isn't an option.
How can I get rid of these things?

-e-
I've only seen then on the one end of the tank closest to the two heaters. I just took out one of his tunnels, and took the full top layer of substrate out of the tank in the half that has the mite infestation. I probably took about 2-3 inches out on the one side. Hopefully this may help a little?

 

[telow]

the best thing you can do it to keep it clean of food scraps
and any other things of that sort

you should clean the cage out with a little water and white vineger
then wipe it clean inside and out then you then change the sub.
and rinse the hides ext what ever else you have in there
with the same and then wash them off with just water and dry them
then put them back in the enclosure

if the scorpion has mites you should take a clean empty container
and put the scorpion in it for a few days and the mites will start dropping off
(they get dried out and die) but the scorpion will be fine so you dont have to worry just keep it warm then after a few days like this it can go back in the enclosure and theres no mites.


or you can do all that and feed it in another container
so theres no left overs from the scorpion eating for the mites to go after
it would prevent them a little better


but good luck with that problem mites are a headache

 

[Zodiac]

The only thing is I don't see any on him

Is this normal considering there have been mites in the enclosure for so lone?

By the way, thanks a million for your help!

-e-
Also, if I put him in an empty container, can I keep the container in the tank so It can stay warm, or will this make the mites thrive?


Obviously I'm a little hesitant putting him in an empty container because I'm concerned about his stress level and health.

This is currently the situation:

I have cleaned out the tank, and placed the scorpion in an empty container in the middle of the tank on top of a stack of paper so he's not directly on the lower heating mats.

He's in a container that he can freely move in, and he has enough room to naturally curl his tail.
There are holes in the top of the lid.

I will be turning the light off and on as usual, and am only keeping him in the tank to keep his temperature up.
(Currently at about 84)

Is this beneficial to the scorpion?

 

[telow]

that should work just fine your safe just be sure its not getting too hot near that heater
but ive done this a few times with different species and had no problem and it worked pretty well.

the mites
some mites wont bother the scorpion they eat the food scraps
so as long as there is food scraps for the mites to eat they will show up
and they would only get on the scorpion if there was no other food source for them
then theres spring tails whick are just anoying but wont bother your scorpion they are just eating food scraps and rotting debris i believe but will not go for your scorp

so since there not on your scorpion they must be either the round white ones that can be harmful in certain way
or spring tails which are just anoying realy

 

[Zodiac]

They are the round white ones.. which is why I'm a little worried.

The scorpion is far enough away from all heat sources that he should be fine.

What kind of damage would the round ones do?

 

[Stewjoe]

When conditions are unfavorable the "white" scavenger mites will attach to a host and ride it until conditions are better then it drops off. Chances are for every mite you see there is another 1000 in hiding. They can cause stress for a scorpion but I have a small number in a couple enclosures and they seem to leave the scorpion alone. These mites seem to be impossible to get rid of in a humid enclosure, its all about keeping their population under control.

Some people use isopods (sow bugs, roly polys) to control mite infestations, they fill the same niche but leave the scorpions alone. Also most people overdo it with emperor enclosures, don't leave the substrate saturated, for coco-fibre I usually have the top layer a bit dry but their burrows stay moist.

 

[telow]

just as he said they can stress the scorp out it can get bad for the scorp
also they can be a danger when a scorp molts and thing of that sort

isopods go for the food the mites are after and are pretty good at keeping things cleaned up so you might want to look into those but i havent used them but i know alot of people that have in the past and went pretty good
on the cleaning up part anyways


but i have all humid kept species and not 1 mite
i stopped them by feeding my scorps in a seperate container and not in theyre enclosures so nothing is left for the mites to go there
and i dont recycle sub at all so theres not a very good chance at having mites
but it works realy well for me and my scorps are not stresed there realy calm
and seem to be pretty happy with everything so thats good to try

its all about how you control the mites realy what ever works for you
they are a pain but they can be regulated or erased it just takes time and work to get them gone